Here's your ticket to see some of the most colorful characters of the art world in action. Bob Raczka presents ringmasters, cannon blasters, dragon slayers, baseball players, and more - all captured on canvas by some of the world's most well-known artists. In these eighteen action-packed paintings, Raczka covers a wide range of times, places, and artistic styles. From Saint George and the Dragon (1470) by Paolo Uccello to Watson and the Shark (1782) by John Singleton Copley to BLAM (1962) by Roy Lichtenstein, this is art that will get your heart racing! ...

This book lets you do more than look at beautiful art. It shows you how to feel it, taste it, smell it, hear it, and touch it! Looking at art with the right attitude can let you hear a cannon boom or know what it feels like to stroke an ermine. You can smell a stinky pig or enjoy the tastes of teatime. In another unique tour through the world of art, Bob Raczka shares his enthusiasm for his subject with youngsters while introducing them to the work of many of the world's finest artists....

Have you ever drawn a picture of yourself? If you have, then you know what a self-portrait is. Most artists make self-portraits as a way to practice. By drawing or painting or even photographing their own faces, they learn how to look at the world around them. And as the lucky viewers of their work, we learn what they thought about themselves. In Here's Looking at Me, Bob Raczka introduces us to fourteen famous artists who have made self-portraits. And as you'll see, they all have very different styles and settings. In fact, as you browse through this unique collection, you'll quickly discover that there is no right way or wrong way to make a picture of yourself. Only your way....

With a simple, rhyming text and beautifully reproduced paintings, NO ONE SAW explores modern art. Each painting highlights the way in which the artist looked at the world in his or her own way. One look at the oversized details of her calla lilies convinces us hat no one saw flowers like Georgia O'Keeffe. A city becomes art when looked at by Kandinsky. And Miro shows us the flight of a bird like we've never seen it before. The message is a clear one: no two people see the world in exactly the same way. There is beauty waiting to be seen and shared by you, so be creative and, more important, be yourself!...

When you think of art, do you think of painting and sculpture? Bob Raczka shows us that even these traditional artistic mediums can be created in untraditional ways. Art can also be draped, chiseled, pasted and drizzled. But unusual approaches to painting and sculpture are only the beginning. We learn that art comes in many forms - a wall or a ceiling, a lamp or a rug, a goblet or a musical instrument. Simple rhyming verse pairs beautifully with reproductions of twenty-seven works of art, ranging from 17,000-year-old cave paintings to some very interesting contemporary creations. Each piece is as unique as the artist themselves, and each is included here to expand our notions of what art is....

What is America? Shape a fascinating image of the United States through the eyes of eighteen artists who have painted, sculpted, and photographed the U.S. landscape and culture. This latest art adventure from Bob Raczka features works from John Trumbull, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jasper Johns, and many more....

Author Bob Raczka thinks it's a neat coincidence that the word "spring," like so many of its happy activities, ends in "ing." Nature is busy budding and flowering; baby animals are being born; gardeners are planting; and everywhere children are running and playing.

Spring Things is sure to encourage young readers to celebrate the coming of this welcome season. Raczka's simple rhymes using "ing" words will inspire children to come up with their own words to describe all the fun and wonder of spring. He lives in Illinois.

Judy Stead's vibrant paintings perfectly complement the lively text. She lives in North Carolina....

Museums have very logical ways of displaying works of art. Usually they group works by artist, by movement, or by time period, so that impressionist works or classical works can be viewed together. And many museums are devoted to displaying only a certain type of art. In Unlikely Pairs, Bob Raczka offers us an exhibit like no others, organized solely for fun. The painting of a seventeenth-century Dutch artist sits next to that of a twentieth-century American. Classical sculpture is paired with modern painting. The result is a rollicking romp through a most unusual exhibit. The reader is challenged to figure out the relationship between the various unlikely pairs and in so doing will look very carefully and perhaps even learn something new about different artists and styles along they way....

The three-dimensional world of sculpture comes alive in "this museum without walls," the sixth thought-provoking art book from Bob Raczka. As curator of this exhibition, Raczka focuses on sculpture from the twentieth century, arranging alphabetically from A (in the form of an Arrow) to Z (in the shape zig-zags). He not only points out different styles of sculpture such as abstract, kinetic, and relief, but also covers the variety of materials--stone, scrap metal, even light--that sculptors can use. A gallery collection like no other, this book is sure to delight and inspire....

What is America? Shape a fascinating image of the United States through the eyes of eighteen artists who have painted, sculpted, and photographed the U.S. landscape and culture. This latest art adventure from Bob Raczka features works from John Trumbull, Georgia O'Keeffe, Jasper Johns, and many more....

With this book, Bob Raczka takes us all on a "world tour." But instead of traveling by plane or boat, the vehicle of choice is wonderfully selected works of art. With 13 pieces--covering six of the seven continents and a variety of time periods--Raczka reveals interesting details that provide insight into the countries and cultures depicted. So join Bob Raczka and see the world....

Bob Raczka has introduced countless children to the pleasures of looking at art. In this book, he adds a new element to the experience-the joy of reading. You'll see all kinds of readers here, in works of art ranging in time from Antonello Da Messina's St. Jerome in His Study (1475) to Jacob Lawrence's The Library (1960), and ranging in style from Rossetti's The Day Dream to Picasso's Two Girls Reading. But no matter the era or the style, each and every painting tells a story about a reader. Art lovers and book lovers alike....

How many art styles can you name? Can you tell the difference between Naturalism and Realism? How about Cubism and Impressionism? In this book, art lover Bob Raczka clearly explains the basics of fourteen different art styles, spanning the 1430s to the 1970s. He also introduces such stylish artists as Jan van Eyck, Joseph Turner and Juan Gris. So get ready to "brush up" on your sense of style! ...

Bob Raczka has introduced countless children to the pleasures of looking at art. In this book, he adds a new element to the experience-the joy of reading. You'll see all kinds of readers here, in works of art ranging in time from Antonello Da Messina's St. Jerome in His Study (1475) to Jacob Lawrence's The Library (1960), and ranging in style from Rossetti's The Day Dream to Picasso's Two Girls Reading. But no matter the era or the style, each and every painting tells a story about a reader. Art lovers and book lovers alike....

In this innovative look at seven paintings by Jan Vermeer, author Bob Raczka takes on the role of interviewer and the people in the paintings become his willing subjects. From The Milkmaid to The Geographer, Raczka teases out fascinating details about these gorgeous works of art and their mysterious creator. As you might imagine, after more than three hundred years of silence, the characters inside these paintings have much to share. ...

How many art styles can you name? Can you tell the difference between Naturalism and Realism? How about Cubism and Impressionism? In this book, art lover Bob Raczka clearly explains the basics of fourteen different art styles, spanning the 1430s to the 1970s. He also introduces such stylish artists as Jan van Eyck, Joseph Turner and Juan Gris. So get ready to "brush up" on your sense of style! ...

(Ages 3-6) Who loves the fall? Passers, Punters, Pumpkin hunters Trickers, Treaters, Turkey eaters. It's hard when summer ends, but the hearty season that follows overflows with holidays, sports, and fun. In this companion to Spring Things, the author and illustrator pay tribute to fall. Judy Stead's vibrant paintings help bring to mind the tastes, sounds, and colors that are autumn. Bob Raczka's rhyming verse is an invigorating celebration of fall....

In this innovative look at seven paintings by Jan Vermeer, author Bob Raczka takes on the role of interviewer and the people in the paintings become his willing subjects. From The Milkmaid to The Geographer, Raczka teases out fascinating details about these gorgeous works of art and their mysterious creator. As you might imagine, after more than three hundred years of silence, the characters inside these paintings have much to share. ...

A book that celebrates all things summer—from playing at the park to swimming at the pool to catching fireflies. Children will delight in the rhymes that captures summertime fun.



"Divers, swimmers, flat rock skimmers.

Joggers, walkers, sidewalk chalkers. 

Marchers, pipers, stars and stripers."



A note at the end explains how to make ice pops....

The three-dimensional world of sculpture comes alive in "this museum without walls," the sixth thought-provoking art book from Bob Raczka. As curator of this exhibition, Raczka focuses on sculpture from the twentieth century, arranging alphabetically from A (in the form of an Arrow) to Z (in the shape zig-zags). He not only points out different styles of sculpture such as abstract, kinetic, and relief, but also covers the variety of materials--stone, scrap metal, even light--that sculptors can use. A gallery collection like no other, this book is sure to delight and inspire....